Corey Toole floored by Angus Blyth as ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds play out Super Rugby thriller

Queensland Reds lock Angus Blyth charging through in defence, head down, colliding with defenceless ACT Brumbies winger Corey Toole a split-second after a clearing kick.

Toole fell faster than the rain sweeping across Brisbane. Sickening was the vision of the 23-year-old stumbling around Lang Park during the Brumbies' 52-24 bonus point win over the Reds on Friday night, which leaves them in second on the Super Rugby Pacific ladder.

The image of Toole being held up by Lachlan Lonergan and Cadeyrn Neville, before being ordered to sit down by referee Ben O'Keeffe, is the one you'll be left with - more so than a confident Jordan Petaia in full flight, the Brumbies' rolling maul or Tate McDermott sending a message to Eddie Jones.

That Blyth only saw yellow in the ninth minute - before the card was upgraded to red by the television match official - beggars belief. Reds coach Brad Thorn admitted it was tough to watch.

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"It was bad, wasn't it?" Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said. "But it was just careless; no-one's going out there to intentionally hurt someone else with a high shot. It happens with second rowers, who are a bit uncoordinated. He's pulled up okay ... But we've got to take this one pretty seriously."

Noah Lolesio says Toole has been left with "a nice scar on his chin"

"He's my roomie at the moment so I'll be looking after him tonight, but I think he'll be fine," Lolesio said

"Tooley brings a point of difference in our attack and the way we use him. It was unfortunate he came off so early, but I thought Bod [Ben O'Donnell] did an awesome job. He really held it down for us and he was really solid at the back there."

Blyth is now staring down the barrel of a lengthy suspension while Toole will undergo concussion protocols before he can return to the Brumbies' XV.

"There's no question it was a red card. It was dumb, it was reckless, it was not needed," former Reds and Wallabies star James Horwill said on Stan.

The victory marked the first time the ACT had beaten the Reds in Brisbane since 2015, some surprise given their consistent status as Australia's premier Super Rugby team.

Former Brumbies coach Dan McKellar spent a moment during pre-game coverage speaking of the emotion he felt winning a domestic final over the Reds in 2020. Tim Horan then broke down the moment James O'Connor broke the ACT's hearts a year later.

The Reds have been on a decline ever since with pressure mounting on Thorn. They came out with a point to prove. Matt Faessler scored first. Petaia was a threat. McDermott's emotion after a moment of individual brilliance was there for all to see.

Yet still, the Brumbies - reduced to 14 men following Tom Wright's yellow card - went into the sheds four points in front. Wright had scored, so too Ben O'Donnell and Lonergan.

Tries to centre pairing Len Ikitau and Tamati Tua put the result beyond doubt before Nick Frost added the exclamation mark after the siren.

"We haven't won here for a while. It's always a challenge coming up to Brisbane. We knew that, we acknowledge it, but we just focus on what we can control and our processes," Lolesio said.

"We really stuck in there and stayed connected throughout that first half, because obviously the Reds, they're a very tough team and they like to disrupt our breakdown and our ball, but we really stuck in there and those late tries near the end reflected that."

Consider a statement made.

AT A GLANCE

Super Rugby Pacific: ACT BRUMBIES 52 (Tom Wright, Ben O'Donnell, Lachlan Lonergan, Len Ikitau, Tamati Tua, Rob Valetini, Nick Frost tries; Noah Lolesio 6, Ryan Lonergan conversions; Lolesio penalty) bt QUEENSLAND REDS 24 (Matt Faessler, Tate McDermott, Fraser McReight tries; Isaac Henry 2, Lawson Creighton conversions; Henry penalty) at Lang Park.

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